Romania’s Damen Shipyard finalizes HNLMS Den Helder Combat Support Ship for the Netherlands.

As reported by Dacian Draco on July 25, 2024, the Combat Support Ship HNLMS Den Helder (A834) for the Royal Netherlands Navy is nearing completion at the Damen Shipyard in Galați, Romania. This vessel, constructed to meet the logistical needs of the Royal Netherlands Navy, has a displacement of 20,000 tons, nearly half that of the French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, which has a full load displacement of 42,500 tons.
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The HNLMS Den Helder is being constructed based on an existing Damen design, adjusted to fit the requirements of the Royal Netherlands Navy. (Picture source: Twitter/Dacian Draco)

The introduction of the Joint Support Ship Zr.Ms. Karel Doorman in 2015 served as a temporary solution, highlighting the need for a specialized replenishment ship and resulting in the development of the HNLMS Den Helder, named after a Dutch city. The ship is being constructed based on an existing Damen design, adjusted to fit the requirements of the Royal Netherlands Navy. This design incorporates elements of the Joint Support Ship Zr.Ms. Karel Doorman and aims to ensure the ship's robustness, reliability, and sustainability. The design of the new Combat Support Ship focuses on fuel efficiency and reduced exhaust emissions, with a combination of diesel engines, hull shape, and propeller design expected to reduce fuel consumption by approximately 6% compared to the HNLMS Karel Doorman.

The contract for the construction of HNLMS Den Helder was signed on February 19, 2020, by the Director of Defence Material Organization (DMO), Vice Admiral Arie Jan de Waard, and Arnout Damen, CEO of Damen Shipyards Group. The total project budget for the HNLMS Den Helder is 375 million euros, with Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) overseeing the project with the involvement of over a hundred companies from the Dutch naval construction sector. This collaboration aims to retain naval shipbuilding knowledge and skills within the Netherlands.

The first steel for the HNLMS Den Helder was cut on December 2, 2020, at the Damen yard in Galați, Romania, followed by the keel-laying ceremony on June 2, 2021, led by Vice Admiral Arie Jan de Waard and Vice Admiral Rob Kramer. The first major section, measuring 90 meters, was launched in Galați on April 11, 2022. The ship was subsequently assembled, floated, and moved to another part of the building dock in October 2022.

The mid-hull section of the new HNLMS Den Helder Combat Support Ship was launched on April 11, 2022, at the Damen Shipyard in Galați, Romania. (Picture source: Ministerie van Defensie)

In October 2023, Damen delivered a virtual reality version of the HNLMS Den Helder to Command Materiel and IT for crew training. Additionally, the ship's diesel generators were started for the first time. This virtual training method allows the crew to become familiar with the ship's operations before its completion. With completion scheduled for the second quarter of 2024, the HNLMS Den Helder is expected to be fully operational by the second quarter of 2025, providing logistical support to naval operations both domestically and internationally.

The ship’s tanker capacity includes 7,600 cubic meters of diesel fuel for ships (F76), 1,000 cubic meters of helicopter fuel (F44), 226 cubic meters of drinking water, and 434 cubic meters of other supplies, such as food and ammunition to support a task group of six ships. The ship will accommodate approximately 24 containers, as well as two Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVPs), two Fast Raiding and Intercept Craft (FRISCs), and two NH90 NFH helicopters. With a displacement of 22,595 tons, a length of 179.5 meters, a beam of 26.4 meters, and a draft of 8 meters, the HNLMS Den Helder is designed to accommodate a 75-person crew and an additional 75 personnel, with improved living quarters based on feedback from previous ships.

Featuring a double hull in compliance with modern regulations, the ship is powered by four Wärtsila W31 diesel generators and two GE electric motors, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 20 knots. It will also be equipped with Thales NS100 radar, and other navigation radars and electronic warfare systems. Initially, it will feature navigation radars, two 12.7mm Leonardo Lionfish Top machine guns, and 6 FN MAG machine guns, with plans to install a Leonardo 76/62 Sovraponte 76mm cannon, a RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) missile system, and a Thales Pharos fire control radar during its first maintenance period. This phased approach allows the ship to begin operations while completing its full armament and sensor suite.

The HNLMS Den Helder, also known as Zr.Ms. Den Helder, is being built to address the logistical needs of the Royal Netherlands Navy, which has lacked a dedicated replenishment vessel since the decommissioning of the Zr.Ms. Amsterdam in 2014. (Picture source: Ministerie van Defensie)